A rumor-monger and malicious Internet poster named Pacifico Aves AKA Pex Aves, the non-lawyer with a law office, has been ordered by the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles to pay a San Diego businessman for defamation. Aves acted like a rabid attack dog for NaFFAA official Rodel Rodis and Internet aggregator Perry Diaz. The full story below:

Member, Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE), Asian-American Journalists Association (AAJA) and National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada (NEPMCC)

S AN DIEGO – The Superior Court of California in Los Angeles, California, has ordered a notorious Filipino community fixture – variously called a professor, journalist and lawyer, though none is true – to pay up for defaming a top executive he had loosely and falsely accused of wrongdoings.

Pacifico Aves alias Pex Aves, the man who advertises his law office and a retinue of attorneys but is not a lawyer, had engaged in a smear campaign in Southern California against businessman Sam Samson of San Diego, even labeling the latter a "fixer" in the Philippine Consulate in Los Angeles. A "fixer" is a derogatory term that connotes illegal activity.

But Samson, a legally-certified notary, was duly accredited by the consulate to do notarial work on behalf of those who can not commute from San Diego to Los Angeles and back. His office is one of several establishments entrusted with the job.

Despite knowing this, the non-lawyer Aves continued to rant against Samson, apparently to drive potential customers to his "law office" a few blocks from the consulate, which, according to its own advertisement, also does accident and immigration.

The judgment by the Superior Court was entered on October 20, 2011, which states that "defendant Pacifico Aves aka Pex Aves shall pay plaintiff Sam Samson $7,500 principal and $110 costs on plaintiff's claim".

A habitual name-dropper, Aves had made wild claims about his alleged professions as an attorney and a newspaper columnist. He also listed five names of individuals, allegedly lawyers, he said he's closely associated with. Some of the names do not appear in the State Bar of California, however.

He boasted in one email: "My office is more than 30 years and look who are the lawyers working with me 1) Retired Superior Court judge Fred Holgado 2) California State consultant Atty. Mitch Bushin 3) Ex-senator Jose Diokno's associate Atty. Fred Marallag 4) Atty. Polie Okoronco (son of british [sic] ambassador 5) Atty. Ben Onyanaco and a few more lawyers, now DO YOU THINK this (sic) high-caliber lawyers will work with me . . . "

Aves' friends also referenced him as a "professor", a tag that seemed to please him because it strengthened his other claims as lawyer and journalist. His emails, however, indicated his lack of knowledge about fields he claimed to have an expertise in, in the three capacities he said he is.

In his lawsuit, Samson complained that Aves' bad-mouthing him and subsequent negative publicity had affected his business, resulting in losses of at least $500 a week.

Contacted three times for comment, Aves did not respond to questions emailed to him, which was quite uncharacteristic of him since he has been prolific in spreading lies in the Internet through a barrage of invectives and unfounded accusations.

For a while, Aves fronted and acted for an official of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), Rodel (he calls him Rodil) Rodis of San Francisco, and a supporter, news aggregator Perry Diaz of Sacramento, in attacking journalist Bobby Reyes and this reporter.

Like a rabid attack dog, Aves spewed the same garbage Rodis and Diaz fed him without checking if their words were factual and true. At one point, Diaz counseled Aves to not identify him (Diaz) as the source of his vitriolic.

Rodis is quite a popular internet figure after he was arrested for allegedly passing what police had thought was a fake 100-dollar bill in a Walgreen store in San Francisco sometime ago. Diaz, on the other hand, has been described by journalist Bobby Reyes as the person who thought real estate, the business he was in, meant fourth estate, the profession he wanted to be in.

When the Philippine Consulate General in L. A. reiterated in May its long-standing policy against so-called fixers, Aves made a boast that he was responsible for the policy, which was not true. Still, he circulated emails claiming his "unconventional battle" had prompted the consulate to relent.

As of this writing, it's not certain when Aves would comply with the court order to pay Samson. If he refused, the court could garnish his income from whatever sources or seize his properties to satisfy the judgment.